1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a frame for a sliding vehicle sunroof or a tilt-slide sunroof with the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.
2. Related Art
One such frame is known, for example, from DE 203 17 140 U1, and formed from a plastic injection-molded piece, that thus is produced from a thermoplastic and that has one front frame part and two side stringers that have one-piece configurations. Guide rails are integrated onto the side stringers, onto which for optional closing or at least partial release of a roof opening, a cover element of the affected sliding sunroof or tilt-slide sunroof is guided. For operation of the cover element, a drive motor can be placed in the area of the front frame piece. Owing to design as a plastic injection-molded piece and the variable shaping capacity connected with that, a multiplicity of functions can be directly integrated with such a frame.
Frames of the type described above can either be attached from above, i.e. from the outside of the vehicle, or also from within, i.e. from the interior of the vehicle. Especially with a frame mounted on the vehicle chassis, great demands are made for the stiffness of the frame itself, which possibly cannot be met with a frame of thermoplastic. The stiffness requirements must then be compensated for by appropriate design measures in the roof areas on which the frame is placed.
In addition, from practical operation it is known that from without, a frame base element embodied as a deep drawing sheet is provided for a sliding sunroof or tilt-slide sunroof to be mounted on a vehicle chassis, which [frame base element] includes a front frame piece and a frame side stringer. Such a frame, which due to material, is of heavier weight and due to fabrication, offers limited shaping options, is as a rule provided with further structural sheet elements. Additionally, with such a sheet frame, a greater investment requirement exists on the part of the manufacturer. Also, the options for functional integration are limited. Additionally, it is expensive to make it corrosion resistant.
Additionally, for example, from DE 198 21 694 A1, a sliding sunroof frame is known that has a multi-component frame base element. The frame base element comprises a front frame piece that can consist of plastic, as well as a side stringer that as a rule consists of aluminum, for guiding a roof cover element. With such a modular design of the sliding sunroof frame, expensive sealing measures must be taken in the transitional areas between the front frame piece produced from plastic and the frame side stringers embodied as extruded aluminum profiles.